Theorist research – Jean Baudrillard

Baudrillard in 2006

Personal information:

Nationality – French.Date of birth – 27 July 1929Date of death – 6 March 2007Region of study – Western Philosophy.University of study – Sorbonne University

Theories:

A lot of Baudrillard’s work in philosophical studies over the years led to him becoming one of the most renowned postmodern theorists of all time. Below are some of his quotes to do with postmodernity that are widely accepted and recognised across the world.

In a lot of Baudrillard’s theories, he has suggested that the postmodern world that we live in has led to society losing focus of what is real and what isn’t. Modern day media texts can link back to Jean’s theories, as hyper reality is something that is frequently used across the world.

Consumer society - A culture of consumption has so much taken over our ways of thinking that all reality is filtered through the logic of exchange value and advertising.

Baudrillard believed that the society we live in today is one that has openly accepted itself as a consumer society. This means that people of today are caught up in advertising throughout the media.

Hyper reality – The term hyper reality is a term that is used to describe something of unearthly proportions, abilities or possibilities. Hyper reality is the idea that reality

and fiction can be blended together without any real signifier as to where the fiction will begin or end. In media texts, hyper reality is used to add to the aesthetic value of the product. Hyper reality is simply the break down in the distinction between reality and fiction.

When looking at hyper reality, there are two main areas that can be studied and/or expanded on.

Simulation – This is the idea of blending reality and representation, with no real indicator of when one begins or ends. This adds to the base of hyper reality, as this is the idea of which it is built off of.

Simulacrum – This is the idea that a copy of something is in fact not a copy, but an original piece of media in its own right.

Media culture – Baudrillard’s idea of media culture is one that is commonly practised in modern media society. Media culture covers all aspects of media (TV, social media, Radio, advertising). Media culture is something that people cannot escape today, and Baudrillard believed that people purchase goods simply on the basis that they want them, rather than need them. For example, if a new Iphone is released and advertised, people will want to buy it, even if they already have a phone.

Media culture is a way of summarising the changes in demand that people have had for certain products, as well as the ways in which people feel about them. As already mentioned, it is very easy to desire something because of the way it looks, which is why this postmodern practice is so common in modern society.

Quotes:

“We live in a world where there is more and more information, and less and less meaning.” – Jean Baudrillard.

“The secret of theory is that truth does not exist.” – Jean Baudrillard.

“History that repeats itself turns to farce. Farce that repeats itself turns to history.” – Jean Baudrillard.

“America is the original version of modernity. We are the dubbed or subtitled version. America ducks the question of origins; it cultivates no origin or mythical authenticity; it has no past and no founding truth. Having known no primitive accumulation of time, it lives in a perpetual present.” – Jean Baudrillard.

“All societies end up wearing masks.” – Jean Baudrillard.

Terminology and language:

Hyper reality – The blending of reality and representation in a media text, with a breakdown in the distinction between the two.

Simulation – The process of blending representation and reality in a media text to create a sense of hyper reality.

Simulacrum – The idea that a copy of something is not a copy, but an original piece in its own right. This links in with pastiche, and supports the use of this postmodern practice.

Pastiche – Copying or attempting to recreate a media text in a number of different ways (usually mockery). Pastiche is supported by the idea of simulacrum, which states that a copy is an original piece of media text in its own right.

Melancholia – The disappearance of meaning in a media text. This can often be seen in pastiche pieces of media.

Criticisms:

Jean Baudrillard (despite being hugely respected in the world of postmodernism) has come under scrutiny and criticism with some of his theories and quotes. A friend of his, Mark Poster was deeply sympathetic with Baudrillard, however – did admit that some of the Frenchman’s theories and practices could come under criticisms.

Firstly, Poster admitted that a lot of Baudrillard’s quotes” lacked basic and systematic analysis when needed”, which is a frequent opinion on postmodern theory.

Poster also claimed that Baudrillard “Extrapolates with limited areas of experience” – which highlighted how Poster believed that Baudrillard was naive in his thinking, and lacked any real knowledge whatsoever.

Applying to a media text:

Baudrillard’s theory of hyper reality is practised well in Jamiroquai’s music video of “Virtual insanity”. The name itself is particularly postmodern, as it highlights how the insanity of the world that we live in is very much real, as a pose to imaginary or something of a myth. As already mentioned, hyper reality is a breakdown of the distinction between reality and fiction/representation. The music video for “Virtual Insanity” breaks down this distinction well, and leaves no real clue as to where the differences between the two end. This is due to the fact that the hyper reality is shown in seemingly normal surroundings.

As the screenshot shows, the room in which the artist is standing in is tilted whilst he remains firmly on the ground, unaffected by the way that his surroundings move. Hyper reality is clear in this clip for two reasons. Firstly, the room would not move around a still object, and secondly, the man in the room would not physically be able to hold still whilst the room moves.

The next screenshot is very much the idea of hyper reality. The angle of the camera, the ways that the characters are standing and the fact that frame is shown as a mirror reflection give a sense of false reality, as the way that audience sees it is deteriorated. What cannot be seen in this screenshot is that the floor is also moving like a conveyer belt from side to side, causing the characters to move sideways whilst walking forwards.

Furthermore, the fact that all of the people surrounding the main character are in white, whilst he is in black, gives a sense of strange segregation and also makes the main character appear to be going against the norm of society – which is something that is extremely postmodern.